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College Competencies

The College has established these skill areas as the foundation of the educational experience at Champlain College, regardless of the student's major. The goal is to help the Champlain College graduate develop into an ethical, self-guided learner:

Life is a process of continuous development—learning in its broadest sense never ends. Developing these skills helps Champlain graduates continue to grow and develop after college by giving them the tools to take charge of their own learning, by identifying what they need to learn and how to do it. This self-directed learning is combined with the ability to examine one's own assumptions and obligations to others and to act accordingly with autonomy, integrity, and intention.

We believe that each of these skills is best developed through consistent practice, application, and instruction. As a result, each faculty member is expected to design courses with these competencies in mind, that incorporate instructional and developmental activities in these areas wherever possible and that are consistent with the goals of the course and program.

Champlain College Competencies

Technology & Information Literacy

The ability to find, store, evaluate, and synthesize information to answer questions, develop new ones, and create new content and knowledge in an ethical and socially responsible manner; the ability to use, manage, assess, and understand technology

Science and Quantitative Literacy

The ability to interpret quantitative information, apply appropriate mathematical methods to solve quantitative problems, and communicate solutions in the appropriate context; the ability to apply scientific methods to understand the natural world, to identify scientific aspects of daily life, and to evaluate the quality of scientific information on the basis of its source and the methods used for its generation

Inquiry

The ability to identify, formulate, and communicate questions that guide investigation and reflection toward discovery; the ability to critically and thoroughly examine one's own assumptions and the assumptions of others

Analysis

The ability to separate and organize complex topics or issues into their component parts, and through a systematic process, to identify and differentiate those components to gain an understanding of the topic or issue

Integration

The ability to move from making simple connections among ideas, disciplines, and experiences to synthesizing and transferring learning and data to new, complex situations

Creativity

The ability to think, work, and respond in ways characterized by a high degree of originality, divergent thinking, and risk taking; the ability to combine or synthesize existing ideas, images, or expertise (or aspects of these) in ways that are original or that lead to unexpected results

Communication

The ability to use reading, thinking, writing, and speaking to convey ideas, information, and intentions effectively and in a manner that is appropriate to the topic, situation, and audience; the ability to interpret accurately and critically the messages produced by others and to respond appropriately

Collaboration

The ability to work inclusively and productively with a group toward a collective outcome; the ability create an environment where each perspective is considered for the cooperative purpose of making progress toward common goals

Global and Cultural Understanding

The ability to critically analyze and engage with complex, interdependent global systems, and legacies—natural, physical, social, cultural, economic, and political—and their implications for our lives and the Earth

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The ability to evaluate intersections, influences, and social contexts from a position of shared humanity and openness toward difference, in order to integrate one's values and belief systems into action

Revised College Competencies established June 2014; Revised September 2018